Which question type focuses on the author's reason for writing the text?

Which question type focuses on the author's reason for writing the text?

• A. Main Idea
• B. Vocabulary in Context
• C. Author's Purpose
• D. Inference

Answer: (C)

Identifying why the author wrote the text. These questions look for the author's purpose—whether the aim is to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain. It’s about the writer’s intention behind producing the piece, not about the text’s overall message, a single word’s meaning, or inferred details. This item focuses on that purpose, which is why it fits best. By contrast, Main Idea questions ask what the text is mainly about, Vocabulary in Context asks for the meaning of a word from context, and Inference asks you to draw conclusions not stated outright based on evidence in the passage.

Identifying why the author wrote the text. These questions look for the author's purpose—whether the aim is to inform, persuade, entertain, or explain. It’s about the writer’s intention behind producing the piece, not about the text’s overall message, a single word’s meaning, or inferred details.

This item focuses on that purpose, which is why it fits best. By contrast, Main Idea questions ask what the text is mainly about, Vocabulary in Context asks for the meaning of a word from context, and Inference asks you to draw conclusions not stated outright based on evidence in the passage.